Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-29

4
ed hounds upon the trace of game.
CHAPTER xxxIy.
On, like two clouds before the wind
on, like leaves borne upon the blast, rode
LagOna upon his tireless steed, close fol-
lowed by Ada McAlpin, upon one almost
as good and far less heavily burdened
On, during all the first night-On, during
all the succeeding day, over the ocean
like prairie. dotted only here and there
with Clumps Of trees-on, until the second
night drew OF, and poor Stella was 50
taiat aud weary from being held in one
position before the untiring warrior that
she murmured family, if he did no.
pause, that she must die.
"When we get to water we will halt"
said Lagons; and he pointed to fringe
Of timber not far ahead, and urged his
horse % greSter speed.
Many times during the day Ada had
striven to engage the young chief in con-,
versatiOn, but in vain. Scarcely raplyings
to her questions in g monosyllable, he
would press on, nor even turn TO look.
upon her, Is she followed in his trail.
At last they reached the timber, and
heard the gentle flow of running water
like chiIdhOod's stifed laughter, when
the young play hide and seek in pleasant
groves.
And there, IN the thick growth of trees,
by the side of O small stream, Lagona
drew up his horse, and springing to the
ground laid Stella gently supon aeawefysI
bank beneath a large tree, and while tfIel
two horses were quenching theft thirst
and cooling their limbs in the stream
brought Stella water in his buhts l9:Atrn
hunting cup-WhiCh had never been filled
with more baneful liquid.
Ga! had the red men to this cay only
drank the free gift Of their Great Father
from HeaVen-had they only drank that3
which He gives to the flowers, the tree,
to man as well-had they never Tasted the
aCcursed tire-water of the pale faces, they
would not now be shadow of !
what once they were; they would |
not be now shattered remnant |
Of a mighty multitude, wander
ing far from the graves of their sites, from |
their ancient heritage. No-no- no! Not |
courage, not art, not right, has helped |
the pale face to drive the red man back
it has been treaChery wrought by' the de- |
mon aid of fire water. That cCGrsed poi
son has burnt up their homes, dried up
their veins, blasted their race forever!
Ada had dismounted, but to hdr Lagona
did not pay the slightest attention, evil
IDENTITY deeming her able TO tax care of
herself.
He now built small fire, and taking a
handful of meal from bag which had
been fastened to his saddle MIXED it with
water into q kind of cake, which he speed
lily baked in the ashes This, with some
dried buffalo meat, he Offered to Stella
and Ada.
The former ate because she was very
faint and weak, and required strength
the latter probably because she was hun
cry. After the women had psi rtaken of
food, LagOna a5e-a thing which he
would not have done before h& assoCia-
led with the whites, for TRUE warrior
would scorn to eat with on after his
Meantime the hungry horses were
feasting in the long, tender grass which
grew high anG thick by the va er-side.
Ada did not speak to the IN happy girl
who sat near her-Once during the day
she had made g CaJnting remaEk to her,
AND then LGgOna had rebuked her so
tierCely that she did no. dare to tempt
lis anger again. But once 10 z while she
would cast upon her 8 look " hich spoke
the deadly intensity of her h&te full as
iorci5Iy as words could have done. Ay,
more so!
Lego, saw this, and saw it with q
Watchfr] eye; but he said not hing.
Alter "a rest of two hours, DIR perhaps
it lie more, Lagona called his horses,
with d low whistle, and prepared to re-
lie us journey.
g. a, where-There are you carrying
ne, brave, good Lagona?" q sked Stella,
,earlu ".
"L,gola is neither brave nor good. !
He 3 hief, and he is stealing the White
Flo -<ar from her father. He would not
nave dore il, but her father would have
given her to another against the Great
Spirits will" said the Indi4 n, gloomily,
rs if he felt that ne was doing a wrong
which required an excuse.
"Where will Lagona take me?" she
ask. d, tearfully.
''TO my tribe, where LagQna can show
he White Flower how grfat he is-hIs
horses cover the plains as thick as trees
n the forest, and UPON every horse is an
armed warrior. The smokes of his
edges darken the SKY, Lag ona is a great =,
;hief!"
"Let him be as good as hd is great and :
axe me back to my father. The Great :
Spirit is mighty, but He do es net strike
he flower with his lghtn ing, it is the 8
strong, proud eak which he humbles. :
The eagle will not harm the dove, but -,
trikes at fiercer game. Why should
1agona harm a helpless girl who never :
lid him wrOng?" =
Stella's words and her fearful earnest
less seemed to have a p 3werful effect :
lpon Lagona; he hesitated, and turned
lis head away, as if be stuq lied in vain for ;
reply. Ada, who caught his eye, made :
significant gesture and looked upward 8
lie understood her idea, AK said: 8
" It is the will of the Great Spirit that :
he White Flower shall be the wife of :
4agona. What the Great Spirit wills l.
must be done!" !
"The Great Spirit nev er wiIled it," b
ried Stella. "No, never Will water =
nix with oil? Will the Ii. mo lie down :
With the wolff"
eyes! So the Great Spirit book, =
which your father read me- said!" replied
triumphantly, abiding to the .
rophesy of the millenniu IN, which Mr.. -
)eIorme had read to him. E
Poor Stella said no more, but allowed
i'm to replace mel. upon bis horse-nOt, ,
oWever, until unohse-ved either by him ~
T Ada, she had left trace by which her "
rlenQS, II Oh LnaI ITdL, might KNOW lnaL 7
he had been there. -
There was look of triu mph upon the -
ace of Ada as they once more dashed +.
way; for at one time she had greatly q,
cared that LagOns was about to relent r.
nd turn back with Stella. But now, =,
ashing through the narrow skirt of h
mber which bordered the stream, he -
truck across the prairie in q course 4
early west, keeping it as steadily as if .,
e followed compass-ls. ID route. The -
o-saS rafrechad nv rast nd food dsTted u